Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to data cards, such as credit cards, that contain a magnetic stripe or other means of storing information. More particularly, this invention relates to such cards that are small in size.
2. Related Art
Cards of various kinds have become ubiquitous in modem society. People often carry a number of cards in their wallet or carrying case, including credit cards, ATM or bank cards, debit cards, xe2x80x9csmart cards,xe2x80x9d insurance cards, a driver""s license, identification cards, telephone calling cards, transit cards, library cards, and card-entry hotel keys. An increasing number of consumer transactions require use of these cards, for example, as the form of payment, or as identification necessary for another form of payment or admission. Quick and accurate access to certain individual cards is useful and desirable for both the consumer and the vendor of goods or services.
Typically, consumers store credit cards and other types of cards in a wallet or carrying case. These wallets and carrying cases are frequently equipped with sleeves or slots for holding one or more cards in an arrangement selected by the user. Because of the proliferation of the types and numbers of cards carried by consumers, cards are often held very tightly within these sleeves or slots, making retrieval of a particular card difficult. Difficulty in removing a single selected card increases the time necessary for the transaction, causes stored cards to be frequently reshuffled and potentially disorganized, and increases the likelihood that cards will be dropped or lost.
While the number of cards typically carried by consumers is increasing, most consumers use certain types of cards much more frequently than others. For example, some consumers may use a credit card for nearly every sales transaction, but only rarely, if ever, use calling cards, library cards, or insurance cards. Because a subset of the total number of cards carried by consumers must be accessed repeatedly, it is particularly desirable to improve the accessibility of these types of cards.
One way to improve accessibility of frequently used cards is by allowing them to be stored in a separate location from the traditional wallet or carrying case. Such cards could be stored on key-chains, lanyards, hooks, or other similar devices that are easily retrieved from a bag or pocket. Thus, when a consumer needs to use the card during a transaction, the card may be quickly retrieved and given to the merchant. This provides an added level of convenience to the consumer by making the payment process quicker and simpler. Additionally, the merchant is able to move customers through the line more quickly, improving customer satisfaction. An additional benefit of storing frequently used cards on a key-chain or like device is that the possibility that the card will be lost is decreased. This is because a single card is much more easily misplaced than a card attached to a key-chain.
Conventionally sized cards, however, are too large and cumbersome to be conveniently stored on a key-chain or like device. The individual items on a key chain must be small and compact so that the key-chain can accommodate numerous items. Further, key-chains and the like are often placed in the pockets of clothing, which may be small. Finally, larger items, such as conventional credit cards, could be bent or otherwise damaged when stored on a device such as a key-chain. Thus, for a card to be effectively carried on a key-chain, its size must be significantly reduced.
The degree to which conventional cards may be reduced in size, however, is limited by the requirements of standard magnetic stripe card readers, such as point-of-sale (xe2x80x9cPOSxe2x80x9d) terminals through which the user xe2x80x9cswipesxe2x80x9d the card to make a purchase or payment. In order to ensure interoperability between the magnetic stripe readers and cards bearing magnetic stripes, the parameters defining the magnetic stripe are governed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ISO/IEC 7811 provides standards for the physical characteristics of the magnetic stripe including the location of the stripe on the card, the surface profile of the stripe, and the height of the stripe above the card surface. It would be advantageous for a reduced-size card to comply with ISO/IEC 7811, or otherwise be compatible with existing card readers and POS terminals.
Proper functioning of the magnetic stripe is very important. On conventional cards, such as credit cards, magnetic stripes contain encoded information that electronic readers can read to perform a function or confirm identification. For example, on credit and debit cards, the magnetic stripe is usually encoded with specific account information such as the credit card number, cardholder""s name, the card expiration date, and a personal identification code. If the electronic device for reading the encoded information cannot properly read the magnetic stripe, the vendor must enter the information manually, using a keypad, telephone, or other similar device. Manually entering the encoded information adds both indirect and direct costs to the vendor. For example, the additional time necessary to enter the information manually may increase needs for register operators and decrease the vendor""s ability to attend to other customer matters. In addition, vendors are frequently charged increased transaction fees by the card issuer for a manually entered transaction.
Thus, a need exists for providing cards, such as credit cards, that are reduced in size from currently used cards, and yet still are operable with currently used readers. Such a card would greatly enhance the efficiency of frequent transactions, including sales transactions, by allowing regularly used cards to be readily and easily retrieved. Further, because such a card could be readily stored on a key-chain or like device, the probability that the card would be lost or misplaced is reduced. Finally, because such a card would be compatible with currently used readers, no redesign of existing card reader technology would be required.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a data card that is reduced in size from conventional credit-card-sized cards, and contains an information storage medium, such as a magnetic stripe or a computer chip, that can be read by existing card reader technology.
In another aspect, a reduced-size data card is provided with a magnetic stripe, which is located near an edge of the card, on which data is encoded. Such a magnetic stripe is reduced in size from the magnetic stripes found on conventionally sized cards, and contains data encoded at a higher bit density than on conventionally sized cards. The magnetic stripe is compatible with existing card reader technology.
In yet another aspect, a reduced-size data card is provided with a hole to allow key-chain storage, and the core may be composed, at least in part, of polyester. Additionally, the surface of a data card of the present invention may also be provided with raised dimples or craters to enhance gripability of the card. Further, information may be printed on the surface of the card, in order to reduce or eliminate the need to emboss the card with raised lettering or embossing.
In still another aspect, a reduced-size data card of the present invention may have an angled edge.